Wire-stretcher.



H. R. oozB. WIRE STRBTGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 1, 1910.

Patented ont. 17,1911.

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HARRY R. BOOZE, OF BUCHANAN, VIRGINIA.

WIRE-STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ct. 17, 1911.

Original application led .Tune 14, 1910, Serial No. 566,794. Divided andthis application filed October 1, 1910. Serial No. 584,891.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. Booze, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buchanan, in the county of Botetourt and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Stretchers,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers and has forits object to provide a very simple and ethcient device of thischaracter which may be easily and quickly arranged in position upon afence post to properly stretch the wires preliminary to the stapling ofthe same to the fence post.

Another obj-ect of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher which isadapted for use in combination with a fence wire clamp, the stretcherbeing arranged upon a fence post and consisting of two primary elements,one of which is engaged with the chains connecting the upper and lowerends of the clamping bars and is pivotally movable upon the othermember, and means for holding the iirstnamed member against retrogrademovementI after the wires have been stretched.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of avery strong and durable wire stretcher which may be constructed at a lowcost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhich is shown a perspective view of my improved wire stretcher arrangedin operative position.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 indicates the wire clamping barswhich are adapted to be arranged upon opposite sides of the fence wiresW. The manner in which these bars are connected and clamped togetherupon the fence wire forms the subject matter of a prior application forpatent tiled by me J une 14th, 1910, Serial Number 566,794, and of whichthis application is a division. It will suliice for the purposes of thisdescription to state that these bars are connected together at theirupper and lower ends by means of a link chain C which is adapted to beengaged by my improved stretching device in a manner which will be morefully hereinafter set forth.

The wire stretcher embodied in the present application comprises a mainbody bar y 10 which is arranged adjacent to thefence post P. At one endthis bar has an enlargement 11, said end portion being rectangular inform as shown at 10 while the remaining port-ion thereof is preferablycylindrical. To the end of the cylindrical portion of the bar a hook l2is secured which is adapted to be engaged with the meshes of the fencewire fabric to support the end of the bar when the stretcher is arrangedin operative position. Adjacent to the other or forward end of the bar10 an arm 13 is secured, said arm being bifurcated at its outer end toform gripping iingers 13. These lingers are adapted to engage and biteinto the fence post l). Upon the enlarged end 11 of the bar a U-shapedmember 14: is pivoted upon the pin 15 which extends vertically throughthe end of said bar. The U-shaped yoke member 141 is formed of two heavymetal bars or arms 14 which are brought together at one of their endsand connected by the bolts or other analogous fastening devices 16.rIhese bolts also extend through the ends of the loops 17 which aredisposed upon opposite sides of the yconnected arms 111. The other endsof the yoke arms extend upon opposite sides of the end of the bar 10 andbeyond the edge thereof and have their extremities formed with the hooks18.

In the. loops 17 the end of a lever or handle 211 is inserted by meansof which the yoke member 14 may be turned upon its pivot pin 15, thehooks 1S on the ends of a yoke being engaged with the chains C wherebythe clamp in which the fence wire fabric is disposed is pulled orextended forwardly beyond the post and the wire stretcher. This pullupon the clamp also serves to bind the opposed edges of the clamping barupon the tence wires and thus overcome all liability of the wireslipping between the bars.

The enlarged end portion 11 of the bar 10 is provided with a pluralityof openings 25 any one of which is adapted to receive a pin 26. Theseopenings are arranged in circular series and the pin 26 is insertedtherethrough in advance of the yoke arms 14 after the wire has beenstretched, to retain the yoke in position upon the bar l0 and preventits retrograde movement, thus preventing slackening of the fabric andpermitting the operator the free use of his hands in the stapling of theWire to the fence post. The hooks 18 are then disen- V gaged from thechain and the stretcher removed. IThe clamp is then positioned upon thefabric adjacent to the next succeeding fence post and the same operationrepeated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced an extremelysimple and eiiicient wire stretcher whereby the wires of a fence may bevery quickly stretched and stapled to the post. The bar l0 and the partscarried thereby may be moved to any position upon the post so as tostretch the wires both at the top and bottom thereof, thus preventingany portion of the fabric from sagging or giving under severe strains.The device is also capable of quick application so that its arrangementin operative position upon the fence post requires but little time, thusgreatly lessening the expense and labor involved in the erection of thefence. The stretcher is also extremely durable and may be manufacturedat a comparatively low cost.

While lf have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be Vunderstood that the saine may be variouslymodified without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing anyof the advantages thereof.

It will be noted that by means of a wire stretcher constructed as abovedescribed, t-he wires may be held tant and stapled to the same post uponwhich the stretcher is arranged.

secured to the yoke, an operating member insertible into said loopswhereby the yoke is actuated in one direction, and means adjustable inthe end of the bar tobe engaged by said yoke to prevent its retrogrademovement after the wire fabric has been stretched.

2. A wire stretcher comprising in combination, a body bar, an elementfixed to said bar to engage a stationary object to anchor said bar, ahook secured to one end of said bar to engage the wire fabric, a yoke jj member extending upon opposite sides of the bar at the other endthereof, apivot bolt extending through said bar and the yoke member,hooks formed upon said yoke member, means carried by said yoke memberfor n g the connection of an actuating element thereto, said body barhaving a plurality of openings therein, and a pin insertible in any oneof said openings to prevent retrograde movement of the yoke member afterthe fabric has been stretched.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

HARRY R. BOOZE.

Vitnesses VWM. R. Davis, H. B. FELLERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

